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Kenny MacAskill: no stranger to controversy

Kenny MacAskill has found himself at the epicentre of a global political storm but Scotland’s man of the moment has plenty of experience when it comes to negative headlines and making unpopular decisions.

It will be a return to familiar territory tomorrow when the SNP’s justice secretary faces a chorus of criticism from his political opponents in the Scottish parliament’s debating chamber.

He faced strong opposition last year when he spearheaded his party’s attempts to tackle problem drinking through a range of far-reaching measures, including the introduction of minimum prices.

His bold proposals to curb alcohol-related deaths and costs to the economy helped to establish his credentials as a conviction politician, prepared to put principles before populism.

Allies say those values are evident in his decision to free Megrahi based on medical evidence and compassion.

The alternative, they say, was to transfer him to Libyan custody, as the UK government